The Rocker and the Realist

Chapter Nine

“I don't think I can do this, Jess.”

A week had passed since my dramatic showdown with Colton. Jess had done an excellent job of spoon feeding me ice cream and was now doing an even better job of pushing me out of the nest, head first.

She sighed and leaned against my open passenger door. “Yes you can. We are already here, the sign is already made, you look hot as hell, thanks to my assistance, and you guys are meant to be so pull up your big girl panties and let's do this.”

I groaned as she pulled me out of her car and toward the packed stadium. Lines wrapped around the building. This was the last Chicago area concert and fans were understandably desperate to get in. “This isn’t going to work.” I said, pointedly glancing at the crowds.

Jess was undeterred. “Don’t be silly.” She marched right up to the gate where a familiar looking security guard was. “Kylar Williams and guest.” She announced. The guard flicked his gaze up to me from the magazine in his lap.

“Eh, Colton’s girl right?” I nodded and he huffed noncommittally. “Go on in.”

“I told you.” Jess smiled confidently as we moved past and squeezed through the crowds of people blocking the auditorium. Camera flashes went off left and right as everyone tried to capture their proof that they got to see Endless Escape. The people in front of us were posing with just about everything in sight. This would have been fine if they didn’t hold up the whole line in the process. They finally got their lives together and started moving through the door.

“Kylar!”

I  stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the door. Jess had slipped ahead and now seas of people separated us. There would be no rescue.

“Kylar.” The voice came again, much closer now. I swallowed my curses as the large hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me out of the doorway.

“What, Mateus?”

His dark hair was tousled like he had been tugging on it and dark circles clung under his eyes. No doubt this was a stressful event for him. Wait, those weren’t just bags. His entire left eye was dark. A black eye, he had a freaking black eye. He looked down at me as people rushed all around. “I’m-” His words cut off when his eyes dropped to the poster in my hands. “You’re here for him, aren’t you?”

I nodded, “I’m sorry-”

“Save it.” He interjected, eyes darkening. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier, I shouldn’t have gone at you like that, but I still think we could be good together.” He glanced at the rolled up poster in my hands. “Don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry, Mateus.” It was practically visible when he shut down. His eyes, normally so open with me, now banged close like shutters in a storm.

“Yeah, me too.” He glanced behind him to the security stationed all around. He wouldn’t. Oh, but he would. Catching the eye of one of the guards he nodded at me and the beefy man took a step forward.

Before I thought it through I dashed into the crowd of people, leaving the security out of sight behind me. Jess waited on the other side of the door. “There you are! I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Move.” I commanded, tugging her forward and into the depths of the crowd until it swallowed us whole. With some sneaky turns and maneuvers I got us right up front, yet not close enough to be caught by security.

“What is going on?” She tore her arm out of my grasp.

“Mateus called security on me.” I hollered into her ear over the noise.